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What you need

This page lists the minimum equipment required to run Spikeling, plus recommended extras for reliable classroom deployments.

Spikeling is distributed in two official board families:

  • Spikeling v2.x (e.g., v2.5): ESP32 WROOM-32, mini-USB, USB-to-UART bridge (CP210x). Driver often required.
  • Spikeling v3.x (e.g., v3.0): ESP32 S3 WROOM-1, USB-C, native USB (USB CDC serial). Driver typically not required. Includes an additional DAC IC compared to v2.x.

Spikeling I/O is carried primarily over 3.5 mm stereo TRS jacks: - Tip (T) = digital / TTL (trigger, sync, digital events) - Ring (R) = analog signal - Sleeve (S) = ground

You can also use a 3.5 mm jack cable wired to an LED to send light stimuli that the onboard photodiode reads.

Minimum requirements

Hardware

  • One Spikeling board (v2.x or v3.x)
  • USB data cable matching your board:
  • v2.x: mini-USB data cable
  • v3.x: USB-C data cable
  • At least one 3.5 mm TRS stereo cable (for analog/digital I/O as needed)
  • LED stimulus cable (3.5 mm jack cable wired to an LED) if you plan photodiode/light experiments

Charge-only USB cables are a common failure point

If Spikeling is not detected by your computer, the first thing to change is the USB cable. Many cables provide power but no data.

Computer

  • Windows / macOS / Linux computer with:
  • an available USB port
  • permission to install software (and a driver if using v2.x)

Software

  • Spikeling GUI (desktop app) for control, plotting, and recording/export
  • Firmware flashing tools (only if you update firmware or build from source)

Board-specific requirements

Spikeling v2.x (mini-USB, CP210x)

Most v2.x boards use a CP210x USB-to-UART bridge. On many systems (especially Windows), you must install the CP210x driver for the board to appear as a serial/COM port.

Driver installation (v2.x only)

Spikeling runs on an Espressif ESP32 board and requires the USB-to-UART bridge CP210x driver, which can be obtained from Silicon Labs:

Once the driver has been installed, users can:

If you are using the newer Spikeling repository

Additional setup notes (including driver installation and firmware guidance) may also be available in the project’s Instruction Manual folder.

Recommended checks: - After installing the driver, confirm the board appears as a serial device (COM port on Windows, /dev/tty.* on macOS, /dev/ttyUSB* or /dev/ttyACM* on Linux). - If it still does not appear, swap USB cable and/or use a powered hub.

Spikeling v3.x (USB-C, native USB CDC)

v3.x boards use the ESP32-S3 native USB interface and typically enumerate as a USB serial device without requiring a separate driver.

Recommended checks: - Prefer a known-good USB-C data cable. - If the port does not appear, try another USB port or a powered hub before troubleshooting software.

TRS connectors and cabling

Spikeling uses 3.5 mm stereo TRS jacks to carry both digital and analog signals with a shared ground:

  • Tip (T) = digital / TTL
  • Ring (R) = analog
  • Sleeve (S) = ground

Recommended accessories: - TRS-to-breakout adapter(s) (TRS → 3 wires / screw terminals / header pins)
Very useful for debugging and classroom setups where you want explicit access to Tip/Ring/Sleeve. - Spare TRS cables (they are among the most common classroom failure points)

For reliable experiments (especially in classrooms)

  • Powered USB hub (improves stability on laptops with weak USB power)
  • Multimeter (quick checks: ground continuity, obvious wiring faults)
  • Small oscilloscope or logic analyzer (optional but very helpful)
  • Validate TTL triggers (Tip) and confirm analog levels (Ring)

For multi-unit / networks

  • Two or more Spikeling units
  • Short TRS patch cables
  • A clear grounding plan (shared ground between units is usually required for stable analog measurements)

For data analysis

  • A Python environment (optional) to run example analysis:
  • Load CSV
  • Plot Vm
  • Detect spikes
  • Compute basic metrics (e.g., firing rate, F–I curves)

Before you start (quick checklist)

  • I know my board family (v2.x vs v3.x)
  • I have a data-capable USB cable (mini-USB or USB-C)
  • (v2.x only) I installed the CP210x driver
  • The board appears as a serial port on my computer
  • I have at least one TRS cable
  • I have the LED stimulus cable if I plan photodiode/light workflows
  • I can launch the GUI

Next steps